The present disclosure relates generally to radio-frequency identification (RFID). More particularly, the present disclosure relates to asset management using a mobile RFID reader.
In radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems for asset management, each asset is tagged with an RFID tag that emits a radio-frequency (RF) signal representing a tag identifier that can be used to identify the tagged asset. Current RFID systems for asset management are generally implemented using one or more fixed RFID readers permanently deployed in each room where the assets are located. Such systems can generally determine in which room an asset is located. In rooms having multiple RFID readers, current systems can determine an approximate location (zone) of an asset in a room based on the location of the RFID reader receiving the strongest RF signal from the asset.
However, such systems suffer from at least two problems. First, asset tracking at the zone level is not precise enough for most applications. A zone may include many assets, so that a search of the zone for the desired asset can consume considerable time. Second, such systems generally require a large number of RFID readers, making such systems very expensive.